Rekindling the Route Home
by The Marvel Encyclopedia
Summary: Utah to New York. Every state in between. Five drivers. Ten days. One memory. -In memory of Pete, the gang decide to take the scenic route home from a map Pete drew up years before. Julia and Tobey take this opportunity to rekindle the spark they had in Tobey's last moments as a free man before the De Leon.
1. GETTING BENNY

_A/N: I'm British so I apologise for any inaccuracies regarding American prisons, states and landmarks._

_I should probably say that I read this trip cross country in Top Gear magazine and so I have used their route as a base of mine with a few adaptations._

_I don't own need for speed, the characters, cars (God I wish I owned the cars!) but I do own a copy of the DVD so... yay._

_This starts right at the end of the movie when Tobey gets into the Mustang._

_Sorry for babbling on, I hope you enjoy and please review!_

_P.S: I think this will be a three maybe four-parter, I'm not going into all the details of the entire trip or I'd never finish and I have coursework to do._

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><p>Day #1 Utah to Arizona.<p>

Julia slides over, her painstakingly straightened hair tickling her back as she flips her head to the left, watching as the recently released Tobey Marshall opens the door of her new red mustang and sits himself comfortably into the seat that she had only just occupied.

She had known that he would have wanted to drive, it had been months since he'd found himself behind the wheel after all and his only real reference to her driving skills were while they were being ambushed and shot at, so she didn't blame him for being terrified at the thought of the blonde behind the wheel. So Julia had slid over, without complaint.

"Nice ride," Tobey says, his voice as horse and rough as she had remembered it, a small and signature smirk hitching at the corner of his mouth as his calloused fingers wrap around the wheel, his foot finding the gas and the Ford Mustang GT speeds off into the horizon.

"It's new," Julia's unique portrayal of a British accent speaks across the roar of the 5.0 litre V-8 engine, "Isn't she beautiful? Almost as nice as the last Mustang."

Tobey lets out a throaty laugh, "Speaking of, was your boss pissed?"

Julia thinks back to when she arrived at her boss' office with her arm in a cast, having to explain to him that his legendary Shelby was no more, and not only that but if he wanted Tobey Marshall to be the one to fix it alongside his team, he'd have quite a wait. But either way, after he ranted and raved and cursed the sky, he calmed down and bargained that with or without Tobey, Marshall motors would be fixing up the remains precisely as they were – for free of course – and he still wanted his $4millon worth of prize winning cars, also built back up by the team that at the time only consisted of Finn and Joe.

She hesitates before answering, "You could say that."

And they race towards Utah, mostly in silence with Finn's voice popping up every now and again with mile markers and unhelpful tips, not to mention the occasional inappropriate comment about Tobey and Julia refraining from pulling over and getting it on in the middle of the highway, which was greatly unappreciated by both parties, Finn totally oblivious to the fact that apart from that kiss in the hospital, and a collection of chaste moments when Julia visited Tobey in prison, the two hadn't exactly 'christened' their relationship.

"Beast on target, parked and waiting," Finn shouts over the communication line, only bringing more attention to the Mustang's lateness, "and you've got twenty minutes to get here beauty, so step on it."

As Tobey presses down on the gas and the red car becomes a blur in the landscape, Julia checks the time on her phone, "Twenty three minutes actually."

Joe scoffs, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just be here."

And thanks to Tobey's foot never easing and the roads being clear, they pull up outside the prison in what Julia names 'nineteen minutes.'

The Mustang pulls up behind where Finn and Joe have haphazardly parked on the road opposite the heavily guarded exit. The drivers of the Super Duty make their way out of the vehicle, pulling Tobey into a hug and Finn sends a wink towards Julia as she sits herself on the hood of the car, the heat of the shining metal burning her through the black material of her ripped skinny jeans.

Tobey, dressed in the same shade of purple jeans and white top he wore the day of De Leon, pulls away from the boys and jumps onto the hood next to Julia as Joe and Finn mimic the motion on their own black vehicle.

They make small talk for two minutes, Finn asking how it feels to be back on the outside along with questioning if they were running late due to pulling into a layby to 'reconnect' as he had so lightly put it, and Joe goes deeper, ensuring Tobey's head was in the right place. But this wasn't like the last time, sure that pain of Pete's death still stuck with him, and would always stay with him, but he had justice now, and Dino was behind bars, that was enough for him.

They had just brought up the conversation of the sparkling new red GT when they heard a familiar, and missed voice call to them. "Damn, look at that booty on that beauty."

Four heads whip towards the sound and see Benny standing behind silver wire in the shape of a fence as a door of the same material slides from in front of him and he is welcomed back into the world of free men.

"You checking me out?" Finn asks the pilot, jumping off the car to grab him into a hug.

Benny pulls away as the others move to stand, "No man, I was talking about little miss full fridge over there," he says, pointing to Julia, "You looking _fine_ girl, did Tobey have to pull over on the way here?"

Julia laughs as Joe and Tobey walk towards Benny, Joe hugging the free man and Tobey smacking the back of his head, "Welcome back man."

"Likewise, I heard you got a nice sentence for breaking parole and street racing, that's gotta hurt," he replies, walking over to where Julia stands in front of the Mustang, "Your new ride?"

"Yes she is," the blonde replied, "You like?"

"Me like," he replies, "So where we heading? Please tell me everybody's got the week off so we can tear cross country in celebration of the epic win my boy here had at De Leon."

Finn laughs the loudest, "Well three of us already celebrated that the night it happened," he jokes.

"Two actually," Julia interjects, "I was still in the hospital."

"I don't care man," Benny whines, "Maverick says road trip, so we gon' have a road trip."

The boys all look to Julia, knowing she was the only one with work to contend with, Marshall Motors hadn't been taking on any work other than Ingram's destroyed motors in the wake of two out of four workers being imprisoned, so another week wouldn't hurt.

The blonde shrugs in response, "I've got the week off."

Benny's eyebrows wiggle as he speaks again, "So you and Tobey can spend the whole week rekindling the fire?" He questions crudely.

"You do realise that we haven't actually slept-" Julia cuts herself short, realising what she had said without thinking. She tries to cover her embarrassment at the confession with a half-hearted cough, and fails. Miserably.

Three mouths fall open, jaws dropping to the floor. "You two haven't-" Finn stumbles, "-And I keep-"

"When have we had time?" Julia says, in almost a screech as Tobey stands on the other side of the Mustang to her silently. "Tobey was arrested right after the De Leon."

"Before?" Benny questions, "I thought you two got together the night before the race?"

"Yeah we kissed," the blonde female replies, "And I'm sure we would have if not for the fact that I was in the hospital," and then, too low for the boys to hear she adds; "Stupid truck."

"Look that's not important," Tobey interjects, waving his hands for everyone else to shut up, "Where are we going?"

The four men share a knowing look, leaving Julia bewildered and looking between them for an answer. Joe takes the toothpick from his mouth and whispers "Is it possible."

Tobey nods, "Maybe, we're already in Utah so we could work backwards and that's seven or eight days off of the trip."

Finn shakes his head, "You're not actually considering it right, we couldn't do it in seven days."

"Maybe not, but we could do it in ten," Joe replies, "We'd miss the first six and go back to Mount Kisco when we get to New York so that's another day off the trip."

"I have a question," Julia interrupts their jargon, "what the fuck are you talking about?"

Benny, Tobey, Finn and Joe all look between each other, silently deciding who should explain until Joe jumps up and speaks, "I think I have his map still in the car, didn't have the heart to take it out." Then he disappears into the back of the black vehicle, returning with a large rolled up map and he straightens it out on the hood of the car, five people crowding around the map.

Julia notices that it's a map of the USA and a thick red marker has drawn a maze around the expanse of land printed there, little asterisks and side notes plastered all over, leaving the thing looking like the most organised mess she's ever seen.

Tobey speaks next, "Petey always wanted to drive through every single state in sixteen days at the most, it was all he could talk about for ages. The five of us were going to do it one year and make sure we were in Vegas for his birthday, but we didn't get the chance," his voice cracks at the end and Julia gives the driver a reassuring smile, "He was going to do the route again when he had settled down and had kids, take them to every state but take the time to see them that time. He made a route up and everything."

Julia looks at the map again, "Maine to Hawaii, 11,175.5 miles in sixteen days. It's ambitious."

Joes pipes in, talking logistics, "We'll cut out Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island at the start, so New York is the furthest we go. Then miss out Hawaii, California, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, Washington, Montana and Idaho at the end since we've done most of them on the way to here. Then we'll go backwards to what Petey thought up, starting in Utah and ending in New York. In ten days or less."

They all nod, "Well I'm needed at work next Monday, so I have ten days exactly." Julia says, working out the days from the sunny Friday they were currently living.

"We better get going then," Tobey says, "What's the plan for today?"

Benny speaks up, "We need to go see the four corners thingy, Little Pete never shut up about that."

Finn nods, then looks back to the map, "Four corners thingy, then we get out of Utah and into Arizona where we shall stay the night before setting off into New Mexico in the morn."

* * *

><p>They soon make it to the place where the southeast corner of Utah meets Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, stopping to take at least a million pictures of the landmark.<p>

At one point, the four boys all stand around the circle marking the difference, each one in a different state and Finn decides that he wants that photo printed off and stuck up in the garage, the others don't kick up a fuss.

It was a symbolic picture really, so much more than what you see. Benny in Utah, Tobey in Arizona, Finn in Colorado and Joe in New Mexico, all in different states, different places, yet all of them are still together, smiling in the same direction.

There are a few sombre moments when someone mentions how much Pete would've loved this trip, it had been his dream after all, but all in all the tone is light and fun, and soon they're back on the road again.

Tobey drives the increasingly dusty Mustang with Julia as his right seater and Benny, Joe and Finn ride in the Super Duty, Benny moaning about not having his 'baby' to fly overhead, and instead being stuck in the back on the truck.

They make quick headway, whizzing past a sign that read 'speed limit 45' at seventy miles an hour, dodging oncoming traffic like pros.

Julia and Tobey make small talk as the Mustang crosses the border into Arizona, speeding down winding roads as the sun goes down and Finn's voice comes through the speakers, "Motel twenty miles out, you guys gunna want one room or two?"

A warm flush of blood races to Julia's cheeks and the red spreads to her roots, a look of pure horrific embarrassment dispersing across her face. She stutters for a moment, words failing her as the blush on her cheeks never dies down.

"Just one thanks," Tobey says, as calm as ever and as Finn hangs up he turns to his right, "It's safer if you stay with me, right?"

The familiarity of the question registers deep within Julia and she can't help the massive smile that spreads across her face, "Was that your way of asking me to sleep with you?" She asks mockingly.

Tobey debates his answer, smirking as he takes a sharp left and Julia has to hold the dashboard to steady herself, and then he answers; "Yes it was."

"Then why didn't you just say that?"


	2. THE FIRST STINT

_A/N: This is gonna be pretty speedy so I hope you can keep up and I don't screw up anything._

_Like I said in the last Authors Note, I'm British and not the smartest of people so I'm sorry if I accidently put that they drove through six states in a day when they could have only physically have done five of them._

_Please review - nicely._

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><p>"Four rooms please," Joe asks the middle aged man stood behind a wooden desk, typing away at an old fashioned computer. Finn takes a step forwards and drops a handful of crumpled dollar bills onto the desk, the precise amount for four rooms for the night, and suddenly everyone's glad he had the good sense to bring some cash as well as the credit card with all of the money from the De Leon.<p>

It was a rundown place, with a neon red sign saying "motel" only the 'o' was flickering and not florescent like the other letters. The building itself was painted a yellowing shade of white, with mould growing from every possible crevice. It wasn't ideal, not with its dusty windows and cracked paint, but it would suffice for the night.

The bald headed man – who introduced himself as Tony – hands Joe four keys, each with a hefty feather tied to the end like some sort of makeshift key ring and points them in the direction of the creaky staircase, the route they would have to take up to the third floor.

They move up the stairs slowly, each of the boys carrying a duffle bag that Finn had kindly packed for them before leaving, having a little common sense and foreboding, only he hadn't quite realised the scale of their trip, and so in three days they'd all be without clean clothing.

Julia however had been slightly less and slightly more organised. She was carrying the same peach coloured overnight bag she had used for her De Leon trip, only this time she hadn't packed any other shoes and so the sky high Gucci boots she sported would have to do. Not to mention the fact that although she had brought an extra pair of pants – or as she called them trousers – she hadn't brought another top, or underwear, or nightwear, but she did remember her toothbrush. This is more than can be said for Finn's packing.

Julia and Tobey take the first room they pass with a number corresponding that on one of the keys. She opens the door slowly, met with the smell of dank walls and dusty air, but the bed looks clean and cosy so she supposes it's not all bad. There's a small bathroom attached and Tobey excuses himself immediately to use it, saying there was nothing he craved more than a nice long hot shower. So Julia sits cross-legged on the bed, reading the an article in a motoring magazine she brought with her about Lamborghini going electric, which to her sounded like utter fraudulent bullshit.

When Tobey returns, Julia is so into the article that she doesn't acknowledge his presence, not until he coughs slightly and she looks up, startled.

He's changed into a deep red top, she notices, with light coloured jeans and wet hair to contrast, he looks comfortable, and at home despite the foreign room. He smiles down at her when she regains the ability to think after her startle, standing to meet him at the bottom of the bed.

"Feel better?" She asks politely, oddly anxious about what the night could hold.

He nods and takes a step forward, cocking his head to the side like he did the first time he ever kissed her, and then he does. It's slow at first, then his hand comes to rest on her cheek and she stumbles forward into him, her hands finding his muscular arms.

And then he pulls away, watching her as she looks up at him breathless. The look she gives him makes him feel like he's still kissing her, all the while still dying of thirst for her lips on his.

"I've been waiting for six whole months to do that again," Tobey tells her, nothing but pure honesty registering in his blazing blue eyes, his black pupils obscuring a considerable amount of the bright iris.

Julia feels herself blush again and slowly moves her hands so they're circling his neck, then without warning, she jumps, lacing her long thin legs around Tobey's waist and his hands move in perfect synchronisation to hold the top of her thighs, "Well I've been waiting for almost three years to do that."

Tobey smirks, "you win."

"What's my reward?" She teases, tightening her legs around him to no avail; before she knows it Julia is flat on her back on the springy mattress, the force bouncing her up and down.

And then Tobey's on top of her, leaning down to capture her lips with his, "this," he says into the kiss, securing his body weight above her.

* * *

><p>DAY #2 Arizona to North Dakota<p>

"Do you guys have no respect?" Joe says as the door to the room Tobey and Julia shared for the night swings open, he hands them both a flapjack he had brought from the garage next door before continuing, "some of us were trying to sleep last night."

Finn laughs and come up behind the Super Duty driver, handing the couple a cardboard coffee cup each, "Yeah but we couldn't since there was this weird noise that went on and on and on…"

Tobey takes a sip of his strong black coffee through the plastic lid and takes in Julia's blush to his left, "Maybe it was your subconscious trying to escape."

"Ha, Ha," Finn responds, sipping from his own cup, "Sounded more like some form of torture being carried out in there," he nods towards the now closed door of the motel room with a smirk.

"Hey, what is up guys?" Benny's voice interrupts from the other end of the corridor, his bright orange jumper brightening up the dirty white walls and stained carpet, "And Julia, looking mighty fine as ever, you know I never put you down as a screamer."

The casual mention of her responses to sex makes Julia cower down behind her coffee cup, it was true that she was a screamer and she already knew that, it wasn't the first time someone had picked up on it. But last night was exceptionally bad, probably because the sex was exceptionally good, either way she had kept all four of the guys awake last night, although Tobey was wide awake for an entirely different reason.

She was wearing the other pair of pants she had packed, a tight fitting pair of light blue ripped jeans with her Gucci boots and mass of uncontrollable tresses up in a ponytail. And then, after explaining to Tobey her mishap of forgetting to pack a second top, she was given the dark red shirt he had worn for a very short while the night before, which she took gratefully, tying the hem so it wasn't so baggy and showed only the tiniest peep of snow white skin of her stomach.

"She's full of surprises," Tobey tells Benny, slotting his makeshift breakfast into his back pocket as Julia does hers and handing her his coffee, then he picks up both of their bags and follows the guys – bags in tow – down the stairs and to the front desk, where Joe hands Tony the keys and they're on their way.

Everyone's stuff goes into the back of the Super Duty and they make a pact to stop at the nearest department store to stock up on what they'll need for the rest of the trip before jumping into their vehicles. Finn and Joe into the Super Duty with Joe driving, and Tobey and Julia into the Mustang, but Benny just stands between the two cars, looking lost.

He turns to Tobey and smiles shyly, trying his best at a lost puppy dog face and then he spots an easier target and faces Julia, "Hey Jules," he says feigning sadness.

"What is it Benny?" She asks, rolling down the window from her passenger seat.

"Can I ride with you in the back of the pretty car?"

Julia turns to Tobey weakly, Tobey shakes his head, Finn and Joe plead her with their eyes, Benny shuffles forward to give the blonde a better look at his sad eyes, Julia sighs, "I suppose you're going to want me to sit in the back, yes?" Benny nods and Julia gets out of her car, moving into the back seat and strapping herself into the middle space so she can still she out of the front. Benny instantly smiles, taking the spot where she just sat and passing her back the coffee cup she had put down the side of the door.

* * *

><p>They exit Arizona as fast as they entered it, not giving it the time of day only being able to cross it off of the list, then they do the same in New Mexico, barely getting a tyre in before leaving once more on the states mostly unpaved roads.<p>

Then they're speeding through Colorado faster than the speed limit and Julia knows that they'll get back to New York way before the ten days is up.

They make a quick stop in Colorado to see the Garden of the Gods but they don't stay long and soon they're in Wyoming, they stop for lunch and exit the state swiftly, almost turning back on themselves to get to Nebraska. They fly through, heading east towards Iowa, aiming to get to North Dakota before Tobey and Joe needed to stop for sleep, though at the speed they were travelling, they weren't exactly taking in the sights. None of them particularly cared though, this was just to say that they'd done it, for Pete.

"We're going so fast I think we're going to be home sooner than next Monday," Julia spoke from where she sat in the back seat of her own car.

"Yeah probably, we're not exactly seeing much of the US are we?" Benny replied to her, twisting in his seat to see the blonde he was addressing, "that a problem? You want us to stay around a bit?"

Julia shook her head, "No it's fine, I like watching the world go by like this. But I think we should take the extra time to spend a day at Disney World when we get to Florida, I could see if they have any last minute rooms available for two nights. We could aim to get there just before bed and spend the following day on the rides and head out the day after," when no one spoke she added, "If you want to that it, I just thought It'd be nice."

"We were barely planning to touch ground in Florida," Tobey replies, keeping his eyes on the road as he swerves past cars doing half the speed he's touching.

"That's fine then," Julia spoke, feeling slightly deflated, "It was just an idea."

Tobey clocked the woman's response and quickly added, "Yeah it was good idea, Petey would've loved it."

"Yeah man but you don't-"

Tobey cut Benny off straight away, "don't know why I was planning to dismiss it in the first place, you're right Benny, thanks." Tobey shot his friend the 'don't-say-it' look and Benny obliged.

So Julia sorted out the logistics while Tobey talked Joe and Finn into it and they were all booked by the time they sped out of Nebraska and into Iowa where they kept to the border, sometimes leaping back into Nebraska to get to North Dakota through South Dakota by the time the sun set.


End file.
